INDIANAPOLIS — Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion and 2020 Gallagher Grand Prix winner Scott Dixon was the fastest driver in Friday’s final practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Dixon’s best lap was 1:10.9851 around the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda.
“I think both kinds of tires are pretty good, but our favorite earlier was the primary to be honest,” Dixon said. “Made a few changes. The car seems pretty decent. We’ll see. We have a lot of work to do on Saturday.
“It’s been a little weird this year. It’s flipped. Everybody starts on the tire they want to get rid of. We’ll have to see. We need a little luck on Saturday.”
Dixon is hoping to continue a streak of winning at least one race. It currently stands at 18 consecutive years.
Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and championship points leader Alex Palou was second at 1:11.1365 in the No. 10 Honda. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was third at 1:11.3073 in the No. 3 Chevrolet with Juncos-Hollinger’s Callum Ilott fourth at 1:11.4315 mph in the No. 77 Chevrolet.
Last week’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix winner, Kyle Kirkwood, of Andretti Autosport, rounds out the top five at 1:11.4655.
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden was penalized by IndyCar officials prior to Friday’s final practice session. The two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion missed the mandatory driver weigh-in and had to sit out 10 minutes in the 30-minute final practice session.
At the time he parked his No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet, Newgarden was 13th with a fast time of 1:11.7678.
“It seemed a little better than it was,” Newgarden said. “We hope for a good, clean day tomorrow. The tires seem pretty friendly – better than we had last year.
“One session at a time. We are always trying to maximize it.”
Graham Rahal starts on the pole — his first in six years — after his dramatic run earlier on Friday.